Friday 8 May 2015

More Leather stockings!

Yes a couple more figures from the redoubt French Indian Wars range. This brings it up to 8, a long way short of an army at present but destined to grow a bit more . I can say that with confidence as I have 4 more started.

I started painting these figures from Redoubt after playing "Muskets and Tomahawks." Yes I like Native American figures I can't help it. Only met one in real life as far as I am aware but they were nice enough. So no complaints there! While some of the proportions on the Redoubt figures may be ever-so slightly off As I already had them I will not complain too much. I knew when I painted the last 4 which were just for fun that I had a couple more tucked away. Well it turns out the 3 or 4 I thought I had were actually 11 or 12 so yes you can expect some more of these to get paint slapped on them before too long.

Price wise they are £7.50 for 4 (+P &P) so I expect that I will get a few more when I next go to a show with Redoubt present. Just to round the collection out, not because I actually have a use for them, although if I try hard I can probably find a use. Yes Ray I know they can be used for Donnybrook! A really enjoyable paint and great fun trying to think up different war paints for each of them.

Thanks for looking today and with luck something else in a day or two. All the best from Kent, England and I hope you had an enjoyable general election if you are in the UK. And if not better luck in 5 (or less) years time.

Cheers Clint

Tuesday 5 May 2015

Casualties. (20mm Britannia)

Well I will admit that the Bank Holiday did give me a little extra time. So here today a little earlier than expected are my latest figures.

Two castings picked up at the Salute show from Andy at Grubby Tanks. They are Britannia 20mm castings which are now supplied by GRUBBY TANKS (Link) These five figures help to round out the Vietnam conflict figures I re-painted, and re-based a couple of weeks ago. It is only in "Vietnam War" wargames rules have I ever needed to worry about casualties being taken to a safe place, be that an aid station or medivaced out to a civilized hospital. Oh and in Afghan war as well now I think on it. Oh and in zombie games, but that really is different!!

So we have a figure carrying another over his shoulder and two figures carrying another between them. Both very characterful figures and totally useable in the "FNG" rules by 2 hour Wargames. Needles to say if a casualty needs taking off table during a game the squad will lose more than just the single casualty, it will require at least 1 more to move them. So suddenly your squad is down 2 fighting troops for the time it takes to get the guy to a safe place. And maybe even then if there is no handy medic to act as a guard until help arrives. It is just another example of how warfare really is and not as we like to play it. I am equally sure in earlier centuries the same thing must have happened! It's just that only from the Vietnam conflict onwards do rules take this into account.

The final picture is just a "Proof" for the local club painting challenge that the figures were painted in this time period and not before. Yes I know that sounds kind of daft, but hey they want some evidence and not to just take each others words. So who am I to argue? It just seems a bit.... well "untrusting!" To me if we don't trust other wargamers then perhaps I or them are in the wrong hobby!

That's all for today. I hope this finds you well. All the best from rainy (today) Kent. Cheers Clint
 

Monday 4 May 2015

Sunday is club day and now I have pulled out of the ACW Campaign, I wanted something a little lighter. It is funny I do not know any player who is happy with the campaign even Scott who has yet to loose a battle. So wanting something lighter I sat down with some guys and played a couple of board games.

The first game we played was "Roll for the Galaxy. As 2 of us had never played it before the others gave us a tutorial which was confusing as they all chipped in and tried to explain at once as opposed to one person explaining the rules and the result was 3 different voices all telling us new players at the same time slightly different things or more rather the same things in different orders! Needles to say I got muddled up and it is a good job the rules were actually fairly easy. We played the game 3 times and I came 4th out of five the first time, then last and then finally the rules twigged and in the last game I actually won. Ian said " I have never seen Clint roll as many dice and not a single 1!" The git there were no numbers on any of the dice! Yeah I was surprised as well and I don't think they were going easy on me! But for once the Dice Gods favoured me. (All praise the dice gods).

And while the three games were quite quick (about 1 hour each game) we had time left at the end for another game of something different. I did mention a couple of games that I knew I liked but  they had not brought them this time. But we quickly settled on "Camel Up". I had played it once before but had forgotten what it involved. For those of you who have not come across the game it is about betting on a camel race. Very simple, a lot of fun and just a bit of strategy and planning (but not enough to make me think too hard). I do have a slight advantage here, no I am not a camel jockey and no I could not fix any races. The advantage comes that the three other players (Dave from the earlier games had left) all try to stitch each other up. I on the other hand try to move camels. OK so the result was a very decisive win in the first game by me as I ended with 12 pound (£) tokens more than anyone else. I did not do so well in the second game and came in last as I think I was trying to join in on the sabotaging of other players. But the Third game was another win for me. And they all looked at me with deep suspicion.

So out of 6 board games played on Sunday I won 3 of them! Well that's my luck used up for another year!

Thanks for looking today I hope you had a good weekend, all the best from me.